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All in the family: A TCAT journey
HUNTSVILLE | For a trio of Oneida siblings, education at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville is a family affair.
Morgan Branscum and her brothers, Malachi and Mason Pike, all chose TCAT to pursue hands-on careers that fit their passions. Morgan is training in the new Allied Health and Medical Assisting program, while Malachi and Mason are both enrolled in Automotive Technology. And the circle of learning doesn’t stop there. Malachi’s wife, Mikah, and Mason’s fiancé, Angel Posey, are both at TCAT, as well. Mikah is enrolled in Allied Health with Morgan, while Angel is in Cosmetology.
Morgan, Malachi and Mason are third generation TCAT students. Their mother and grandmother both graduated from TCAT Oneida/Huntsville and used the skills they gained at TCAT as a launchpad for their careers. Linda Acres, their grandmother, completed the nursing program and worked for many years at Huntsville Manor before retiring. Their mother, Cindy Pike, completed the Administrative Office Technology program and worked at Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services for 15 years as office coordinator.
The children of Melvin and Cindy Pike, Morgan, Malachi and Mason grew up in Oneida. They didn’t share the same high school experience; Morgan graduated from Oneida High School in 2022, Malachi graduated from Scott High School in 2024, and Mason graduated from Penn Foster as a home-school student. But TCAT has brought them together — all three completing classes under the same roof on the Huntsville campus.
For Morgan, pursuing a diploma in the Allied Health and Medical Assisting program was about following in her grandmother’s footsteps.
“I really love helping people,” she said. “Whenever I was little, my grandma used to take me to the nursing home. I knew right then that was what I wanted to do with my life.”
The Allied Health program is TCAT’s latest program offering. It combines Nursing Aide, Phlebotomy and EKG Technician, which have long been offered as stand-alone and supplemental programs at TCAT, and enables students to also earn their certification as a medical assistant. Morgan doesn’t plan to stop at that point, however. She intends to enroll in the Practical Nursing program and pursue a career as an LPN. Eventually, she wants to work at a pediatric center.
Malachi and Mikah were middle school sweethearts, even though they didn’t go to the same school. Malachi attended Huntsville Middle and Mikah went to Burchfield. They met at a football game — “I was just wanting to watch Burchfield get beat,” Malachi admits with a laugh — and the rest became history. The two were married in May, and Mikah enrolled in the Allied Health program with her sister-in-law.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said of the health care profession. “In high school I took every medical class that was offered to me, even clinicals.”
Mikah says she eventually wants to be a labor and delivery nurse.
Mason and Angel also met in middle school, both attending Huntsville Middle. Angel graduated from Scott High this past spring, and they have set a wedding date for June 10, 2026.
“I always did hair in my family,” Angel said of her decision to enroll in Cosmetology. “I grew up knowing I wanted to eventually do hair. I enjoy coloring hair and making people feel better about themselves.”
Then there are the brothers. Malachi and Mason both grew up tinkering on cars. Malachi said he developed a love for working on cars when he was in seventh grade. “Then I got an addiction to buying them up and fixing them,” he said. (“Can confirm,” Mikah adds.)
Like Malachi, Mason dual-enrolled at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville as a high school student. He says it’s all about gaining knowledge and the opportunity to build a successful career as an auto mechanic.
Malachi and Mason are always outside, their sister and significant others say, whether it be tinkering on cars or working on some other project.
“As long as I can remember, he’s always been working on something,” Mikah says of her husband.
The five are a tight-knit group. Morgan was a bridesmaid in Mikah’s wedding. Angel does Morgan’s hair (“she’s made me feel better about myself,” Morgan says). Malachi and Mason enjoy being uncles to Morgan’s children — and they’re already training the oldest to be a mechanic. “He’s working on changing the battery in his Power Wheels right now,” Malachi said of his nephew, Hutson.
There’s a lot of laughter when they’re all in the same room, and they enjoy picking at each other the way siblings do. But make no mistake: Morgan is fiercely protective when it comes to her brothers. “I’m a mother hen,” she says.
Through that relationship, TCAT has become a place where they cheer each other on, study together, and take pride in building better futures together.
“I really wanted to do (the Allied Health program),” Morgan said. “Then I found out Angel was going for Cosmetology. I thought that would be really cool. Then I found out Mason was going into Automotive, and Malachi was already here. I told Mikah we should do Allied Health together.”
“It’s way easier having someone to study with,” Mikah added. “It’s been good to have a familiar face in class.”
The five all agree that the TCAT experience has been a productive one so far.
“Ms. Sue is the best teacher,” Mikah said of her instructor, Sue Sims. “I’ve learned so much that I didn’t even know my brain could hold.”
Angel said she’s already learned a lot under Jayne Roysden and Tammy Sharp in the Cosmetology program. “They teach us something new every day,” she said. “They break it down for you and show you every little thing.”
Malachi said he got off to a good start as a high school student working under Nick Neal, who is the instructor for Scott High students in the Automotive Technology program at TCAT. Now he is continuing to learn from Tim Gibson and Jimmy Baird. “All of them teach you the most they can,” he said. “I’ve learned so much more and now I can finish any project on my own.”
While sisters-in-law Morgan and Mikah plan to one day be pediatric and labor-and-delivery nurses, and Angel hopes to be a hair stylist, Morgan sees her brothers headed towards building a business for themselves.
“They’re probably going to open their own shop, honestly,” she said.
Between them, this one family represents three different TCAT programs, one shared goal, and a powerful reminder of how career and technical education can bring people together to build brighter futures.
Autumn’s canvas in the Big South Fork
There’s a magic to October in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area — a transformation that sweeps across the sandstone bluffs and hardwood ridges, turning the rugged Cumberland Plateau into a patchwork quilt of crimson, gold, and amber. The forest canopy, dense and wild through the summer months, softens under autumn’s hand. Hickories blaze yellow, maples burn red, and oaks deepen to rust and copper. For a few fleeting weeks, the 125,000-acre expanse of the Big South Fork becomes one of the most breathtaking natural galleries in the South.
Located along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, the Big South Fork is a land of deep gorges, high ridges, and the untamed Big South Fork of the Cumberland River that cuts through it all. Fall brings a new rhythm to the landscape. The haze of summer gives way to crisp, clear air. Morning fog settles in the valleys, then lifts to reveal forests glowing with color beneath blue October skies. By late afternoon, the low sun bathes the cliffs and hollows in golden light — the kind that makes even the quietest trails feel sacred.
Where to See the Colors
For many, the experience begins at the overlooks. East Rim Overlook, near Bandy Creek, offers a sweeping view of the river gorge, where layers of color stack upon one another in the vast distance. Sunset here is a photographer’s dream — the cliffs catching fire as the sun dips low. To the north, Devil’s Jump and Blue Heron Overlook in Kentucky provide equally dramatic perspectives of the river’s twists and turns.
If you prefer to be in the thick of it, take a hike along one of the park’s countless trails. The Angel Falls Overlook Trail leads through dense hardwoods to a commanding view high above the Big South Fork River. The Twin Arches Trail, one of the most popular in the park, winds through towering forest and beneath the largest natural sandstone arches in the eastern United States. Along these trails, the colors are intimate — leaves drifting down like confetti, crunching underfoot as deer move quietly through the underbrush.
For those who’d rather take it all in from the saddle, Big South Fork’s extensive horse trail network offers a different vantage point. Riders can explore miles of secluded backcountry, where every turn brings new hues and the earthy scent of fallen leaves fills the air. Even a slow drive through the park — particularly along roads like Divide Road or the scenic route to Blue Heron — reveals a tapestry of color that seems to go on forever.
Timing the Peak
Fall color in the Big South Fork typically begins to show in early October, reaching its peak around the third or fourth week of the month. Because the park spans a wide range of elevations and microclimates, the display often lingers well into early November. The higher ridges change first, followed by the valleys and river corridors. For visitors hoping to catch the best of it, that late-October window is usually ideal — a time when nearly every tree, from the scarlet maples to the golden poplars, seems to glow at once.
A Season of Reflection
Beyond the scenic beauty, there’s something deeply reflective about autumn in the Big South Fork. The sound of the river softens under fallen leaves. Campgrounds at Bandy Creek or Blue Heron grow quieter, more peaceful. A smoky campfire and a cool evening breeze make perfect companions as darkness settles over the plateau.
Here, far from city lights and noise, fall reminds visitors of simpler rhythms — of seasons that turn whether we notice or not, of beauty that exists not in permanence but in change. It’s a fleeting masterpiece, and that’s what makes it unforgettable.
For anyone looking to experience Tennessee’s wildest autumn, the Big South Fork offers not just color, but connection — to the land, to the season, and to the quiet wonder that only fall can bring.
Discover more at DiscoverScott.com.
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